Thill-coupling



(No Model.)

T. P. RANDALL.

THILL COUPLING. No. 322,481. '7 v Patented July 21, 1885.

By his Afforneys UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

TIMOTHY P. RANDALL, OF ADRIAN, MICHIGAN.

THlLL-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters PatentNO. 322,481, dated July 21, 1885.

Application filed May 26, 1885. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, TIMOTHY P. RANDALL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Adrian, in the county of Lenawee and State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Thill-Oouplings, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to thill-couplings, and

more particularly to that class in which the draw-iron is provided with a removable plate carrying a journaled thill, the object being to provide improved means for holding said I plate in position, and yet allowing it to be readily and easily detached when desired.

With these ends in view the invention consists in the improved construction and combinations of parts hereinafter fully described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a thill-coupling constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section of the same. Fig. 3 is a transverse section showing the device unlocked, and Fig. 4 is a longitudinal vertical section of a modification.

In the accompanying drawings, in which like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures, A represents the draw-iron, which is adapted to be attached to the axle bya clip, as usual. The draw-iron A is provided on its upper side witha dovetailed recess, B, to receive a dovetailed plate, G, carrying upwardly-extending ears D, be tween which the thilhiron is adapted to be journaled, as usual. The draw-iron A is provided with a circular opening, a, on a line with the dovetailed recess upon the upper side of the draw-iron. The said circular opening a terminates at its upper end in an oblong opening, I).

E represents a metallic bushing, which is exteriorly-threaded and engages the opening a in the draw-iron, said bushing being provided annular flange or shoulder, a.

at its lower end with an inwardly-extending lug, e, which is adapted to engage the elongated opening b in the draw-iron. A recess, f, is made in the under sideof the removable plate carrying the journaled thill, which recess is adapted to be engaged by said lug e, and thus hold the plate against detachment.

For holding the lug e of the thumb-piece in engagement with the recess on the under side of the detachable plate 0, a spiral spring, F, is provided, which spiral spring is located on the thumb-piece and bears against the shoulder d at one end and against the flange c of the bushing at its other end.

The operation is as follows: When it is desired to detach the plate G carrying the thilliron from the draw-iron, the thumb-piece is pulled downwardly from engagement with the recess on the under side of the plate 0, and is then given a quarter-turn. Said thumb-piece is then turned transversely to the position it occupies when locked, thus bringing the elongated lug crosswise of the oblong opening and holding said lug below the upper face of the draw-iron, thus allowing the plate to be readily detached and replaced in position when desired. When the plate is in position, and it is desired to lock the same, the thumb-piece is turned so as to bring the log of the thumbpiece on a line with the oblong opening, when the spiral spring forces the lug through the opening andinto engagement with the detachable plate.

In the modification shown in Fig. 4, in lieu of the spring and bushing, I employ a fiat spring, H, and locate the same on the under side of the draw-iron. The said spring H is provided at its forward end with a slot in which the finger-piece is located and in which it is adapted to turn said spring-bearing against 90 a shoulder on the thumb-piece, and thus holding it in engagement with the recess in the plate 0.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, is

1. The combination, with a draw-iron, of a detachable plate carrying a journaled thilliron and a spring-actuated thumb-piece to engage openiugs in the'draw-iron and plate, and adapted to be turned substantially as de- 100 scribed to hold the parts in an unlocked position, as set forth.

2. The combination, in a thill-coupling, with the draw-iron and a detachable plate located thereon, of a bushing located in an opening in the draw-iron, a thumb-piece working in 5 said bushing, and a spring located on the thumb-piece, as set forth.

3. The combination, with the draw-iron and the detachable plate carrying the journaled thil1-iron, of abnshing located in an open- IO ing in the draw-iron, a thumb-piece having the head and an elongated lug and adapted 

